It's definitely a departure from the Super-science or war-time versions. A skinny crook is doubling Superman and stealing things, so Superman gets the blame for the robberies. His boss is a very Edward G. Robinson looking character who receives all of the items he steals.
When Superman is going after the pseudo-Superman up on a rooftop, the way he moves reminds me of the giant robots from the movie "Sky Captain And The World Of Tomorrow" (a really wonderful film worth seeing). If you take a look at the Superman cartoon "Mechanical Monsters" available on this website, you'll notice those same robots in it along with a somewhat similar story. I wonder if "Mechanical Monsters" was the inspiration for "Sky Captain And The World Of Tomorrow"?
Personally, I think the copyboy is the little brother of the pseudo-Superman character. Their voices were very similar. Also I don't think the copyboy is Jimmy Olsen. He's too young and the ubiquitous camera wasn't present.

Ok, it's kind of corny, and not quite the Superman we've come to know and love, but still it is kind of cute.
I found it hard to believe that Superman could be held down by a desk on top of a trap door and Jimmy Olsen's voice sounded like Buggs Bunny, but it's a fun little ol' time flick.

Was that kid at the start meant to be Jimmy Olsen, or the MAD Magazine guy?
Anyway, not a bad Superman flick, next to some of the others I've seen.

It's FOOOOOORMALLLL

not a good superman